Improvisational Theater – what exactly is that?

According to Wikipedia „improvisation is a state of being and creating action without pre-planning.“

Actually every plot and every dialogue is developed on the spur of the moment. There is no script, no memorized text and no director. The scenes are inspired by suggestions from the audience; called out loud or in the form of written bits of dialogue that are distributed on the stage. Neither the actors nor the spectators know which scenes will be developed from those suggestions. It might be a comedy, drama or a musical. Or something entirely different…

The musical accompaniment is being taken care of by a musician who has to spontaneously join in the scenes offered by his acting colleagues.

There is no doubt that this kind of acting presents a special challenge to the spontaneity and creativity of the actors. It is this challenge that constitutes the thrill of the show. You could watch hidden shakespeare’s shows again and again without once experiencing a repetition. Hence the group has gathered quite a number of loyal, ever-returning fans in their 21 years of existence.

By now it is widely known that the art of improvisation cannot just be used successfully on stage but also benificially applied in everyday life. Especially in an increasingly confusing and hectic work life one has to be able to react confidently to unexpected situations.

Improvisation also helps to make the cooperation with colleagues more relaxed and creative. That’s why quite a few big and small companies count on improvisational techniques and the help of hidden shakespeare.